Folding egg-case.



R. M. SKILBS & P. H. BALDWIN. FOLDING EGG OASE.

APPLIOATIOI FILED Ill. 11, 1908.

a 929,634. Patented July 27, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. SKILES AND PATRICK H. BALDWIN, OF ORESTON, IOWA; SAID SKILESASSIGNOR T0 J. F. LAWLER, Ol ADAMS COUNTY, IOWA.

FOLDING EGG-CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 11, 1908.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Serial No. 20,483.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT M. SKILEs and IAtrnicn. ll. BALDWIN,citizens of the United States, residing at Creston, in the county ofUnion, State of Iowa, have in vented a new and useful Folding Egg-Case,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shipping crates and has for its object toprovide a strong, durable and thoroughly efiicient crate of thischaracter capable of being quickly set up for use and readily knockeddown and compactly folded for transportation or shipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide an eg crate, theconstruction and relative disposition of the several parts of which aresuch that when the crate is folded for return shi ment a chamber orcompartment will be ormed at one end of the crate for the reception ofthe egg receiving cells or fillers.

A further object is to provide improved means for locking the side wallsin engagement with the end. walls of the crate, and means for lockingthe cover in closed posi tion.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefliciency.

Further ob'ects and advantages will appear in the ollowin understoodthat various changes in form, proportions and minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a knockdown crate constructed inaccordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showin thecover removed and one of the side we. is in open position. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of a crate showing the same knocked-down fortransportation or shipment. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view ofFig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved crate forming the subject matter of the present inventionincludes a bottom section 5 preferably formed of wood description, itbeingand having one or more staples G secured to the opposite endsthereof and on which are pivot-ally mounted the end walls 7 of thecrate.

Secured to the opposite longitudinal edges of the bottom section 5 areside strips 8 preferably formed of metal and having their upperlongitudinal edges bent to produce a plurality of spaced eyes 9 whichregister with corresponding eyes 10 on the side walls or sect-ions 11and 11' for the reception of a pivot rod 12. The side walls arereinforced and strengthened by vertical strips 12 which also form stopsfor limiting the outward movement of the end walls 7.

Secured to the inner faces of the end walls or sections 7 are tubularmembers 13 in which are mounted for rotation locking rods 14 havingtheir opposite ends bent laterally to form terminal angularly disposedfingers 15. One of the fingers 15 of each locking rod 14 is adapted topass through a correspondingly shaped recess 16 formed in the adjacentside section of the crate when the latter is set up for use so that bypartially rotating the rods the outer finger pieces 15 will pressagainst the exterior walls of the side sections and thus hold the latterrigidly combined with the end walls of the crate.

The crate is provided with a removable cover 17 to the front edge ofwhich is secured one or more metallic plates 18 having their forward edes bent to form tubular membars 19 in w ich is slidably mounted a lockinrod or bolt 20. The opposite ends of the 10% or bolt 20 are formed withangular portions 21 ada ted to engage the tubular extensions 22 oisimilar plates 23 secured to the adjacent side wall of the crate, therebeing a finger loop 24 formed in the intermediate portion of the rod andby means of which the latter may be moved to operative and inoperativeposition. Secured to the rear longitudinal edge of the cover 17 aresimilar plates 25 in the tubular portions of which are slidably mountedrelatively short rod sections or bolts 26, which latter engage keepers27 secured to the side wall 11' and similar in construction to thekeepers 23.

Riveted, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the side strips 8 arekeepers 28 and 29, the keepers 28 being adapted to receive the angularportions 21 of the locking memside wall 11 of the crate. then placed inposition on top of the side her 20 when the crate is knocked down forshipment while the keepers 29 are adapted to receive the angularportions of the locking rods 26, as best shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawings.

Extending transversely across the interior of the crate is a partition30 having its lower edge pivotally connected with the bottom section 5by means of loops or staples 31 so that the partition may be foldeddownwardly in engagement with the bottom section when it is desired toknock down the crate for trans ortation. The partition is preferably empoyed in connection with the crate when the latter is used for shippingeggs and similar commodities and in which event the fillers will bedisposed within the con'ipartments formed by said partition, in theusual manner.

The hinges of the sections on one side of the crate are preferablyspaced a greater distance from the bottom section than the hinges of thesection on the opposite side of the crate so that said sections may becompactly folded without. danger ofbinding.

In order to knock down the crate for transportation or shi ment thepartition 30 is folded downwardly in engagement with the bottom section5 and the end walls 7 folded inwardly and downwardly in the direction ofthe partition, after which the side wall 11 is folded laterally on theend walls and the side wall 11 folded downwardly on the The cover 17 iswalls of the crate and the angu ar extensions 21 of the lockin member 20passed through the loops of the lieepers 28, the locking member 26 beingsubsequently inserted in the tubular members of the keepers 29 therebyto lock the several parts of the crate in as sembled osition.

Attention is here called to the fact that when the crate is knocked downfor transportation or shi ment a chamber or compartment 32 wil be formedat one end of the crate for the reception of fillers and the like whenthe box is used as a crate for shipping eggs. It will also be observedthat by having the hinges of the side members constructed in the mannershown either side member may be swung laterally to open position so asto expose the contents of the crate without the necessity of removingthe cover.

Suitable handles or loops 33 are preferably secured to the side membersof the crate to assist in moving said walls to open and closed position.

\Vhen it is desired to use the crate for shipping eggs the end walls areswung up wardly to vertical position after which the side members areswung upwardly, the openings 16 in the side members permitting thelatter to be moved in el'igagement with the end walls. ()ne of thefinger pieces 15 of each locking member is then partially rotated whichcauses the other finger 15 to engage the exterior walls of the sidemembers, best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. \Vhen the side and endwalls are thus asseml'iled the cover 17 is placed in position on thecrate and the angular extensions of the rod 20 moved into engagementwith the keepers 22 and 23 by manipulating the finger piece 24, thelocking members 26 being subsequently introduced into the keepers 27, inthe manner before described.

The crates may be made in dili'ercnt sizes and shapes and constructed ofwood, metal or other suitable material.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

A folding crate including a bottom section having side and end sectionspivotally connected therewith, a partition. pivotally mounted on thebottom section, said end sec tions and partition being foldabledownwardly in engagement with the bottom. section, and the side sectionsfoldable downwardly on the partition and end section to produce anintermediate filler receiving compertinent at one end of the crate, sidestrips secured to the opposite longitudinal edges of the bottom section,tubular members rigidly secured to the side strips, :1 cover, keeperssecured to the side sections, tubular members rigidly secured to thecover and spaced from the kQGPQYS on the side sections, a locking memberslidably mounted in the tubular members and adapted to engage thekeepers of the side sectlons, said locking member being provided with anintermediate finger loop and adapted to engage the keepers on the sidestrips when the crate is folded.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaflixed our signa tures in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT M. SKILES. PATRICK H. BALDWIN. Witnesses E. L. CARROLL, C. W.Cannorm.

